Tag Archives: emily biegas

Delving into the 2026 Midwest Crossword Tournament Puzzles!

Posted on by
3

The 2026 edition of the Midwest Crossword Tournament was this past weekend, wrapping up the summer-to-fall monthly tournament pipeline (unless you live near the Finger Lakes of course).

I had a chance to sit down and try my hands at this year’s tournament puzzles. As always, I have some thoughts.

So, without further ado, let’s see what the Midwest Gridfest constructors had in store for solvers this year!

Puzzle #1: “Well, It’s About Time” by Kate Jenson

This 16×15 grid was an excellent starter for the tournament, offering solid accessible cluing (with some regional color and trivia) and an impressive swathe of long, varied entries all ending with “MN.” This puzzle was tied together nicely by the grid-spanning revealer MINNESOTA GOODBYE.

I wasn’t wild about LEAVES OF AUTUMN as an entry, which kinda felt like a lyric or line of verse that was reworded in Yodaspeak in order to fit a rhyme. (Though a quick internet search does seem to support the constructor, so this is quite possibly a me problem.)

But for the most part, this was a strong kickoff to a day of puzzle-solving.

Interesting grid entries included MASON WASP, BIANNUAL, and OFF-PUT, and my favorite clues were “Beauty brand with a six-shade ‘Ford Mustang’ collection” for OPI and “What a castle by the sea might be made of” for SAND.

Puzzle #2: Local Flavor by Mike Graczyk

The growing number of crossword tournaments each year across the US means we get more interesting location-specific clues, in addition to regional touches of personality. (As a trivia nerd, that’s a huge bonus for me.)

That’s absolutely the case with this 15x themeless crossword.

Now, unlike our constructor, I don’t begrudge people a little ketchup on their hot dogs (and that’s coming from someone who worked at a hot dog stand on and off for the better part of a decade). But I still quite enjoyed (almost wrote “relished” there) all the local references and “flavor” promised by the title.

There are some good crossings in this well-constructed grid, but the cluing is where Graczyk shines.

Interesting grid entries included MARSALIS, ONE AND DONE, SEARS TOWER, and JULES, and my favorite clues were “Feature of Grand Rapids and Green Bay” for HARD G, “Be a little shy” for OWE, and “Its name technically changed in 2009 (What’chu talkin’ ’bout… Willis??)” for SEARS TOWER.

Puzzle #3: Team Spirit by Rena Cohen

This 21x crossword, like Snickers, was guaranteed to satisfy any solvers in desperate need of some sports-based punnery.

Common phrases like BANG FOR YOUR BUCK and GUARDIAN ANGELS were clued to reference Midwest sports teams, and Cohen packed seven of them into the grid, including a grid-spanning centerpiece that taught me that there’s a hockey team called the Minnesota Wild.

Mix that with some excellent grid fill and a tightly constructed grid (UNIDEAL notwithstanding), and you’ve got an eye-catching behemoth to mark the Midwest midpoint of the tournament.

Interesting grid entries included BOCA RATON, LEFT A TIP, BELOW PAR, FIDELIO, PHOENICIA, and BAD PUNS (untrue when it comes to the puns in this puzzle), and my favorite clues were “Garment whose name evolved from French baby talk” for TUTU and “You might have one to get out of an escape room” for HOUR.

Puzzle #4: Take a Michigan Left by Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick

I’ve solved several excellent collaborations by Biegas and Wanetick this year, so when I saw this byline come up in Puzzle #4, I knew I was in for something good.

What I didn’t know was how devious it would be.

This 15x puzzle featured four theme entries with U-turn signs accompanying them, as well as four black lines at various spots in the grid. It was clear that some sort of wordplay / answer manipulation would be at play here. I figured I would have to go beyond the actual answer to each clue to understand the gimmick involved.

For instance, 17-Across was clued “____ space (stairways, corridors, etc.)”, and the grid crossings resulted in LIMODRIVER. I knew LIMINAL was the answer, and I kept looking around, trying to find a way to replace letters or spell it out with neighboring letters in some way.

But I couldn’t suss it out.

This was, in fact, the second tournament puzzle this year where I completed the grid well within the allotted time, but I definitely didn’t UNDERSTAND the puzzle within the allotted time. (Puzzle #4 at Lollapuzzoola 19, I remember you.)

But after completing the rest of the tournament puzzles and then coming back to stare baffled at my completed grid for far too long, I reached out to a fellow puzzler who I knew was in attendance at the tournament, and she thankfully reassured me that I wasn’t alone in my befuddlement. In fact, many solvers needed the puzzle’s gimmick explained to them with visual aids.

As it turns out, I was on the right path, looking for the answer in a path beyond the actual entry. But U-turn arrows are curved, and so was the path to the answer, including diagonals. (Each one would stop at one of those black lines in the grid.)

WOOF. This one was a doozy. Impressively constructed and smartly clued, to be sure. But a doozy nonetheless.

Interesting grid entries included OK FINE, TEST RUN, SEMPER FI, and DEEP RED (sadly not clued to reference the Argento film), and my favorite clues were “Totally fasten-ated?” for RIVETED and “They turn thoughts into actions” for SYNAPSES.

Wait, wrong one…

Puzzle #5: Chicago Style by Zachary Edward-Brown

After my struggle with Puzzle #4, I regained a little confidence as I tackled this 15x grid that matched Puzzle #1’s welcoming energy, enjoying a breezy, smooth solve.

The theme entries were established phrases that became something new when CHI was added — my favorite was NO NOTES becoming CHINO NOTES — and the grid fill was great fun. Has SKINEMAX ever appeared in the NYT Crossword? (I just checked XWordInfo, and it has not. You scooped them, Zachary!)

Interesting grid entries included SMIRCH, EASY TIGER, PAC-MAN, NO OFFENSE, and the aforementioned SKINEMAX, and my favorite clues were “One assisting with coursework?” for SOUS CHEF and “Archenemy of Odlaw” for WALDO. (Deep Where’s Waldo? lore there!)

Puzzle #6: End of the Road by Jess Rucks

This 15x themeless was the perfect capper to the day’s solving, as Rucks presented a tight grid with loads of long entries crossing and buckets of personality in the grid fill.

There were two sets of clues available for the championship themeless, MINNESOTA NICE and CHICAGO FIRE, depending on your preference.

And Rucks excelled with both sets of clues, hitting the difficulty of each version perfectly and offering tons of style and wordplay to solvers of all ability levels. One of my favorite themeless puzzles this year.

Interesting grid entries included THE GOAT, PSYOPS, ACTION STAR, GICHIGAMI, and the fun pair of OKAY I GIVE and OH GOD NO.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

  • MN NICE: “Guy who totally sleighs at gift-giving” for SANTA
  • MN NICE: “Life phases, like ‘villain’ or ‘healing'” for ERAS
  • MN NICE: “What one must do to be the last one standing, so to speak, in musical chairs” for SIT
  • CHI FIRE: “They’re all talk, to some degree” for ORALS
  • CHI FIRE: “It leads to suffering, per Yoda” for HATE
  • CHI FIRE: “Present day figure” for SANTA
  • CHI FIRE: “Many Gen Alpha members (already!?)” for TEENS
  • CHI FIRE: “Doodle bug?” for FLEA
  • BOTH: “Original name for Lake Superior (“great water,” in Anishinaabemowin)” for GICHIGAMI

Plus some shameless puns and a Golden Girls reference. Outstanding clues.

Tiebreaker: Calculus Class by Will Eisenberg

Waiting in the wings for any ties was this 12×9 Midwest midi packed with snark (quite apropos for MEAN GIRLS DAY, one of the grid-spanning answers).

It was a fun, quick solve and a terrific light dessert after a crossword feast.

And, for those who STILL weren’t solving-sated, there was a bonus themeless crossword by Kaye Brown, a Ben Bass cryptogram, and a Mini Meta Suite curated by Sally Hoelscher. Attendees were absolutely spoiled!

120718_crossword_L

Last year’s Midwest Crossword Tournament puzzles made a big impression on me when I solved them earlier this year, so my expectations were high going into this year’s tournament. And for the most part, this year’s puzzles easily met those lofty expectations.

There were a few odd grid entries, but otherwise the construction this year was terrific. The themes were accessible and full of Midwestern color.

I obviously struggled with Puzzle #4, but that’s not a flaw in the programming, that’s a feature. There should always be one or two puzzles that ratchet up the challenge level and test your puzzly mettle, and Puzzle #4 succeeded at that.

The puzzling here was topnotch start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s festivities. (Which have already been announced for October 2nd, 2027!)

Did you tackle this year’s Midwest Gridfest, fellow puzzlers, either from home or live in person? Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Delving into the 2026 Boswords Summer Tournament Puzzles!

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday I had a chance to sit down and test my cruciverbalist mettle with this year’s puzzles from the Boswords Summer Crossword Tournament.

I look forward to Boswords every year, so I had high expectations going in. To no one’s surprise, they managed to meet and occasionally exceed those lofty expectations!

Let’s put those puzzles under the PuzzCulture microscope and see what Boswords had in store for solvers this year!

Warmup Puzzles: Minis by Andrew Kingsley and John Lieb

Instead of practice puzzles or a midi, solvers warmed up for this year’s tournament with three mini crosswords from The Boston Globe.

They were a quick little series of icebreakers to knock the ring rust off of solvers, replete with homophones and Boston references, and the third of the trio was a delight. A C-shaped grid with a Coco Chanel quote in the cluing and SCENTS, SMELLY, and PERFUME as entries, this was a great little puzzle that really made the most of a tight grid.

Puzzle #1: Standing Trial by Emily Biegas & Sala Wanetick

The tournament proper kicked off with this 15×17 puzzle loaded with fun and accessible themed entries and a nice catch-all revealer with STATUS SYMBOLS (whether that status meant verified, engaged/married, action in progress, or importance on a team depended on the answer word).

A very breezy solve, this was the perfect intro puzzle for a day of competitive solving. I was immediately considering alternate ways to read clues and interpret wordplay after seeing the flexibility of STATUS SYMBOLS, which is a terrific mindset for tournament play.

(It was also interesting to note that this was my first of two Biegas/Wanetick puzzles of the day, as I later solved their Wednesday NYT puzzle the same night. This is a duo to keep your eyes on, solvers!)

Interesting grid entries included TOUGH LOVE, RAYA, REAL ID, and RIB MEAT, and my favorite clues were “Number of cards dealt in Go Fish” for SEVEN and “Hotel chain whose name anagrams to a naval force” for RAMADA.

Puzzle #2: Getting Off-Track by Chandi Deitmer

It’s rare that my favorite puzzle of the tournament appears so early in the proceedings, but this 15×14 puzzle was gamesome, tightly constructed, and a terrific solve, an absolute highlight for the day. The gimmick wasn’t flatly apparent at the start, but made total sense upon unraveling the first two themed entries. Balancing sharp and simple is a tricky task, and Deitmer absolutely nailed it here.

This puzzle had names of train systems — “L” for Chicago, “Metro” for Paris, etc. — added to the clue answers to fill in each themed space. (For example, SIDESHOW + Chicago’s L made SLIDESHOW.) The revealer TAKE THE TRAIN explained the themed clues neatly and was the cherry on top of the solve.

Interesting grid entries included LATE GREAT, WITCHCRAFT, and BRITA, and my favorite clues were “Where old minor-league teams called the ‘Spuds’ and ‘Russets’ played” for IDAHO and “Response to Brute force?” for ET TU.

Puzzle #3: Going Greener by Damon Gulczynski

This 19×16 grid has a lot going on — a chain of connected overlapping clues, symmetrical color-shaded entries, and a dollar sign dominating the grid’s black-square design — and all of it comes together neatly as Puzzle #3 begins ratcheting up the difficulty for competitors.

The solver goes on a journey from POVERTY to FORTUNE — a RAGS TO RICHES journey, as the revealer explains — with entry spaces growing greener as the solver follows the chain of connected clues. “Need” clues POVERTY, but then both “Need” and “It might be served by a sheriff” clue WARRANT. Each clue applies to the next entry in turn as we word-associate our way to greener pastures.

It’s a cool concept for a puzzle, one that I don’t think I’ve seen before, and coupled with a tight grid and interesting fill, it’s another strong showing for Boswords.

Interesting grid entries included CORONADO, FINAGLED, EASY WAY OUT, and IN-CROWD, and my favorite clues were “Measure of weight (not purity; that’s with a ‘K’!) for CARAT and “Father Keith Mars and daughter Veronica Mars, e.g., on TV” for PIS (nice fakeout with DUO there).

Puzzle #4: Pay Up by Joon Pahk

This 17×17 puzzle was the most devious of the day, presenting theme entries that seem unconnected, except for the country in parentheses listed after each clue. Realizing that the answers were too long for their given spaces, I started looking for the trick of each entry, and it was a good one.

That “Pay Up” in the title indicated that a unit of currency was not only lurking in each theme entry, but literally “up” from the horizontal answer, reading out in the crossing entry downward as a unit of currency, but upward as the missing letters from the answer. For instance, in PARTS UNKNOWN, WON read out in the crossing entry WONKA, but also served as the “NOW” missing from UNK-NOW-N. (The revealer, RAISING MONEY, also fit the pattern, with YEN reading down as part of MO-NEY.)

It’s a terrific bit of constructing. (And as a professional wrestling fan, seeing PARTS UNKNOWN in a grid was a treat.)

Interesting grid entries included NOPES OUT, OLE ELO, PYRITE, BOP-IT, and ORKNEY, and my favorite clues were “Something that’s beside the point?” in ONES COLUMN and “The planets, e.g.” for OCTAD.

Puzzle #5: Back Packs by Kathleen Duncan

The tournament concluded for most solvers with this 17×15 puzzle, a pleasant solve after the back-to-back challenge of Puzzles 3 and 4. It can be tough to stick the landing in a tournament setting like this, but Duncan deftly mixed strong construction and fill with playful cluing to wrap up the day in style.

Five groups (the BACK PACKS of the title) were concealed backwards in larger theme entries, like WERC (CREW) lurking in POWER COUPLE. But like I said earlier, the real highlight here was the engaging fill throughout the grid.

Interesting grid entries included KING TUT, MEDALISTS, GIGOLO, AD CREEP, CHOREO, CILLIAN, and MEMORANDA, and my favorite clues were “Disney dwarf number” for HEIGH-HO (my favorite clue of the day!) and “Overseers of camera dollies on film sets” for GRIPS.

Puzzle #6: Championship Themeless by Peter Wentz

As always, Boswords closed out with a themeless puzzle for the top solvers to live-solve, and this 15x grid was a suitable challenge. The stack of five 9-letter entries across the middle, plus the longer entries tying the grid together, offered loads of opportunities for good, uncommon vocabulary and solid fill.

There was also great cluing across both puzzles, with an emphasis on kid-lit references, a fun little micro-theme in the clues, particularly in the Sizzling set. (There were two sets of clues available for the championship themeless, the MILD and SIZZLING sets, depending on your preference.)

Interesting grid entries included EMERALD CITY, LATINO USA, EX PARTE, DRY AS DUST, FRENEMY, and MOP UP DUTY.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

MILD: “Lassie’s swimming hole” for LOCH
MILD: “Like a melon that ‘pings’ when thumped” for UNRIPE
SIZZLING: “Abbr. preceding Friday” for SGT
SIZZLING: “Obeys flickering lights at intermission, say” for HAS A SEAT
SIZZLING: “Worker focused on the present?” for ELF
SIZZLING: “Creator of the North-Going Zax” for SEUSS

(Plus another wrestling reference with the Iron Sheik getting a shout-out.)

120718_crossword_L

Consistency is king, and Boswords never falters.

Whether it’s their summer tournament, the Winter Wondersolve, or their seasonal themeless leagues, Boswords delivers. I’m a sucker for trivia-filled clues and Boswords constructors never skimp on the details. The grid fill is eye-catching, and the themes, whether deviously tricky or more immediately accessible, are memorable, never feeling overworked or too esoteric.

Maintaining this level of quality, solver-friendliness, and creativity is a tightrope walk… one the Boswords team navigates every single time. Their track record is impeccable.

And with so many exciting puzzly events on the calendar every year, I still think Boswords is the perfect tournament to introduce solvers to tournament-style puzzling.

I cannot wait to see what they cook up for us next year.

Did you attempt this year’s Boswords summer tournament puzzles, fellow solver? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!